
Category: Features

Paris ballet dancer, Abilene native Alex Maryianowski teaches ACU theatre workshop
COVID-19 shutdowns around the world brought ballet dancer Alex Maryianowski from performing with the Paris Opera Ballet back to his hometown of Abilene, and Abilene Christian University students were the beneficiaries of that pandemic side effect, as he offered a guest workshop Tuesday in ACU’s Department of Theatre. Maryianowski visited as a guest artist in … Continued

Nursing grad finds rewards outweigh challenges at remote hospital in Mexico
After working for three years as a nurse at a large teaching hospital in Dallas, Haley McNeese (’17) was well-versed in her chosen profession. But she still faced a steep learning curve when she joined Christian Health Service Corps in June to serve at Hospital Mision Tarahumara, working with indigenous people in the Sierra Madre … Continued

Newest grad puts bookend on Carroll family’s 20-year purple and white legacy
Anne Carroll-Amerine hasn’t had a typical college experience, so it’s perhaps fitting that her graduation will be an unusual one as well. She will be one of the 600-plus Abilene Christian University graduates who have signed up to walk the stage at this weekend’s Commencement ceremonies at Wildcat Stadium. May graduation was rescheduled for Aug. … Continued

ACU taps award-winning producer Randy Brewer to tell online alumni stories
Randy Brewer (’93), producer of award-winning music videos for Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift, is putting his talent to work for his alma mater creating a series of TV commercials to air throughout Texas beginning in July. Brewer, founder of Nashville-based Revolution Pictures, has created memorable work with dozens of high-profile clients, including Underwood, Swift, Verizon, Brad … Continued

University’s chief diversity officer brings life experience to her role
Dr. Stephanie (Toombs ’90) Hamm is the great-granddaughter of an enslaved person, the granddaughter of an activist and the daughter of an activist – “all people who love Jesus,” she said. Growing up, she heard stories of the efforts to integrate schools in Little Rock, Arkansas. “My grandfather was one of the initial parents who insisted … Continued

FilmFest Gala: When student film premiere at Paramount was canceled, Learning Studio took it to the web
Six short films, representing months of work by more than 50 ACU students, were destined for a Paramount Theatre screening at the ACU FilmFest gala in early April. But when classes moved online in response to the coronavirus pandemic, so did FilmFest. On April 23, the gala, which typically draws a full house at the … Continued

Bailey’s expertise in geothermal design primed him for role as NEXT Lab senior mechanical engineer
Tom Bailey’s (’71) career as a professional mechanical engineer didn’t end when he retired in 2013 from Weatherford International, a Houston-based oilfield service company. But it did change directions. In Houston, Bailey was director of a large engineering department. Today, he is a senior mechanical engineer in ACU’s NEXT Lab, working with faculty and mentoring … Continued

Fritter the K9 earns smiles, spreads good will for ACUPD
What started as an April Fool’s joke between interior design professor Kelly (Kercheval ’09) Mann and ACU’s apple-fritter-loving police chief Jimmy Ellison has tongues (and tails) wagging across campus a year later. A miniature Schnauzer, dubbed Fritter the K9 and owned by Mann, has taken her place as an official ambassador for the ACU Police … Continued

Management professors bring back Social Enterprise Consulting course for Spring Break
It’s been a while since Dr. Sarah Easter (’06) was working on a master’s degree in business administration, but not so long that she doesn’t remember two specific classes, one in domestic consulting and one in international consulting. “Those were my favorite classes,” Easter, an assistant professor in ACU’s Department of Management Sciences, said. Remembering … Continued